Bernard Freyberg

Bernard Freyberg (21 March 1889-4 July 1963) was the Governor-General of New Zealand from 17 June 1946 to 15 August 1952, succeeding Cyril Newall and preceding Willoughby Norrie. Born in Surrey, England of Austrian and German descent, Freyberg fought alongside Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution and spent ten and a half years fighting Germans in both World War I and World War II, leading New Zealander troops in both wars. He briefly entered politics as Governor-General of New Zealand after the war, and he was a member of the UK Liberal Party.

Biography
Raised in New Zealand, Bernard Freyberg served as a British officer in World War I. Displaying conspicuous bravery, he was wounded nine times and won the Victoria Cross at the Somme in 1916. Freyberg stayed in the British Army after the war, but at the outbreak of World War II was appointed to command the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Ordered to defend Crete in May 1941, he failed to stem a German airborne assault and was driven from the island.

Fierce fighter
Freyberg thoroughly redeemed his reputation in subsequent fighting in the North African desert, where his New Zealanders were the opponents Erwin Rommel most feared. In 1944-45, he fought in the liberation of Italy, at Monte Cassino, and at the very end racing his division to Trieste. He arrived on May 2, the very day that German forces in Italy surrendered.